Nuuk Airport postpones terminal opening
With tourism on the rise, Greenland Airports is modernizing and expanding several airports to cope with the expected influx of visitors. The occasional delay in complex construction projects such as airports is not unusual. However, what is unusual is when the opening is canceled just the night before.
Construction on the new Nuuk Airport has been underway since 2019.
The former 900 m long runway was extended to 2,200 meters to enable international flights at the airport. A new tower and a new terminal were also built.
The new terminal was originally scheduled for opening on June 17 for domestic traffic. On June 13, Air Greenland informed its passengers about the new check-in. Then, late on the evening of June 16, the day before the opening, Air Greenland announced that the new terminal would not be opening on Monday, June 17. The airline stated: “Greenland Airports has announced that the new terminal will not be opening tomorrow, Monday, June 17”.
According to a statement by Greenland Airports, “The fire safety authorities had some comments that need to be clarified before the terminal is put into operation.”
Jens Lauridsen, Director of Greenland Airports, said: “Of course it’s a bit unfortunate that we couldn’t open as planned.” However, apart from the additional fire safety requirements, the checks went well.
A reopening date for the airport’s new terminal has not yet been set. Lauridsen stated that it would be announced “as soon as possible”. For the time being, travelers will have to continue using the old terminal.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal
More on the subject
